video

[belovedson]

[Neal's not really one for broadcasting on the network much; too many years spent trying to go unnoticed probably, out of the public eye and away from whoever he'd been running from at the time. So while he's been in Wonderland for ten months, when the feed starts? It's only the second time he's purposely put up since he got to Wonderland.]

Uh, hey. [This is going to be awkward, isn't it? Maybe he should've stuck to text, but too late now.] So this may seem like something crazy to ask, especially since Wonderland is doing--whatever it does, again. [Rooms shuffling around, hills turned into valleys, who knows what else.] But I thought maybe we should talk about ways this place doesn't suck.

[No, he's not joking. Neal's got a reason behind this, even if he's not sharing it exactly.]

See, it's easy to complain about what's going on, and no one's going to blame anyone for it. But we're all stuck here regardless, so I just--I don't know. Thought that sharing the good things might make it a little easier. Y'know. While we're trying to figure out where all the rooms went.

[And what it might mean that for the second time, some event seems to be starting without any sort of announcement, and now outside of when everyone would expect it. Neal's figures someone else is going to have that covered anyway, like Emma or James, or one of those superheroes running around.

Hence the attempt at morale boosting, or whatever people want to call it. Honestly, Neal knows there are other people around in the same situation he is--not just stuck, but resigned to the fact that Wonderland is it. So why not reach out, try to find them, and commiserate?

He thinks over what he's said, then nods as if telling himself that yeah, the message is good, it gets the point across. Then he turns off the video in favor of sending out a pretty important private message. It's one he should have sent out sooner--much sooner--but for all the logic and good intentions, Neal's still carrying a lot of guilt over what Zelena made him do.]

[Private to Henry]

Hey buddy; you busy?

Comments

[Video]

[voiceinthedark]

[This is more what Sam likes to see. Sure things are weird but they're still more comfortable here than they would be at home.]

Do you want the whole list?

Because nothing trying to eat me or people I care about on a daily basis is top of the list.
No evil hippies mind controlling most of the remaining population of the UK.
Usually plenty of food to go around.

...alcohol that hasn't been made in a bucket.

Re: [Video]

[belovedson]

Maybe not the whole list. I mean, time stands still here, but that'd still take awhile.

[Especially since yeah, Neal remembers the kind of crap world Sam is from. But he's definitely not shutting down the abbreviated version, even grinning as the guy gets started on it.

At least for most of it, anyway.]

...You've got evil hippies in your world on top of the zombies?

Re: [Video]

[voiceinthedark]

Just a bit, yeah.

[He shrugs at that question.]

One. One evil hippy. It's not like we make a habit of having them.

Honestly? Zoms have kind of been the least of our problems recently. It's the people you have to watch out for.

Re: [Video]

[belovedson]

I’m pretty sure you guys didn’t plan on making the undead a habit either. [But one or dozens, from the way Sam makes it sound it’s definitely something for them to be concerned over.] Yeah? That’s really crappy. I guess worldwide tragedy can bring out the worst in people too.

[But then again, Neal’s been in some situations like that before: ones where people are so desperate just to stay alive, they forget about being decent.]

But like you said: no evil hippies in Wonderland. So that’s definitely a plus.

Re: [Video]

[voiceinthedark]

They're not so much a habit as a forced addiction. Very hard to get rid of. Keep coming back.

They want to stay alive. Some of them don't care how they do it. Some of them see an opportunity to rise to the top of the heap by crushing the people below them.

And some of them are just insane and want to inflict global eternal happiness via mindcontrol on the entire world.

Not that I'm bitter or anything.

[Video]

[cursebreaking]

You know, people could probably stand to talk about what they like about Wonderland more often.

[She knows she tends to forget, from time to time, especially when she's had a run of particularly bad luck-- but Neal himself is part of what's good about Wonderland for her, which makes the fact that he's the one sending this message that much more fitting.]

There's something to be said for the people. Family, friends-- both new and old. Wonderland gives us opportunities we wouldn't have had otherwise.

Re: [Video]

[belovedson]

Yeah. I mean, it's pretty obvious why they wouldn't--this place can seriously suck.

[All the more reason to focus on the decent things, right? It's the same for Neal as Emma in that regard. For all he knows about what happens back home, at least here he has a chance to do right by her and Henry both.]

The people have got to be the best thing about being here. You and Henry especially--you're a large part of what makes this place feel like it can be a home for me.

[Video]

[cursebreaking]

I'm not always so great at the optimism thing, but I still think you've got the right idea.

[She needs a little nudge, sometimes, to look to the silver lining instead of fixing her sights on everything that's gone wrong. With the loss of both her parents, plus her learning about what she's supposedly done back home-- she really needs the reminder this time around.]

I could say the same about you. [And she has.] Not to mention we've all made new friends here we wouldn't have otherwise. People who are important to us.

Re: [Video]

[belovedson]

I’m good for those sometimes. Maybe not too often, but it’s been known to happen. [Even without knowing about Emma’s eventual fate, Neal’s already figured out that he has to hold on to hope somehow. As crappy as things get between the losses and the future and people in Wonderland doing stuff they shouldn’t (looking at you, Papa), he’s still only going to have their time here to spend with the people he loves most. So that advice he hadn’t wanted way back when he first got told of his own death really does stand true: he’s got to keep living while he can, same as anyone.

Not that he’s going to tell Hook he was right, but you know.

His grin widens to hear that Emma holds his presence in much the same way; it’s good to know that they really have come so far, in spite of everything that happened. And she’s right about that other thing, which brings up a pretty important point. Not that Neal and Emma talk about their current relationships a whole lot, but Elphaba’s becoming a more prominent figure in his life, and by extension, Henry’s and Emma’s.]

You know I’ve been seeing Elphaba, right?

Video

[naughty_nurse]

There are l-lots of good things about this place! Like... nobody bullies anyone! And no one's used me as an ash tray!

Re: Video

[belovedson]

Wait, what?

[That's not exactly the sort of information a person just glosses over.]

What do you mean, used you as an ash tray?

Video

[naughty_nurse]

[What, no, this is totally normal]

W-well, sometimes my parents burnt their cigarettes into my skin. But no one's done that here at all! Everyone here is really, really nice.

Re: Video

[belovedson]

Shit. [He catches himself, then shakes his head.] Sorry. I’m just—really sorry you had to go through that.

[Because no, Mikan, it isn’t normal. It’s absolutely horrifying.]

You’re right though. Most people around here wouldn’t want to hurt anyone, especially not like that.

video;

[onevice]

[ Have a little smile. ]

It's a good thing to see that someone is looking up.

[ Or, at least trying to encourage positive thinking. ]

Re: video;

[belovedson]

Heh; trying to anyway. I need it just as much as anyone else.

[In some ways more so. There's a lot of crap that's happened lately.]

How have things been on your end? It's been awhile.

video;

[onevice]

I think we all do.

[ A lot of crap seems to happen... a lot. And not just in Wonderland, either. ]

Things have been fine, actually. Relatively stable. [ She smiles thinly; there's clearly still a lot on her mind, but she doesn't bring it up, whatever it is. ]

But it has been a while. Have you been home at all?

Re: video;

[belovedson]

Hey, relatively stable is something to celebrate around here. [In the land fabled for madness, that sort of normality is pretty precious.

Unfortunately, what Snow asks next is a stark reminder of the reason why Neal is making this post in the first place. He hesitates longer than is necessary for what’s definitely an innocent question, and when he does start to answer, Neal can’t keep his eyes focused on the phone.]

No, I haven’t. It’s, ah… [What, complicated? Except that’s not true; everyone who’s been in Wonderland for ten minutes gets told that sometimes, people show up who don’t have a future in their own world.]

It’s better if I don’t go home. [So he spits it out, because if he doesn’t she’s going to ask anyway.] I’ve got people here I don’t get to see again if I leave.

video; private

[henrydaniel]

[Henry has a lot on his mind, but there's always time for his dad and he puts down a comic book he'd only been reading half-heartedly anyway.]

Nope. What's up?

[He replies from his position lounging in bed, but the backdrop isn't his own mansion room that he's made into a teenage haven for himself; it's his room at Regina's.]

Re: video; private

[belovedson]

Not much. I just wanted to see if you were free to talk, or whatever. [To address that massive elephant in the room which Neal can’t quite bring himself to say even over the feed, and doesn’t that bode well for what’s to come? Still, Henry needs to know that what’s happened won’t get between them, and more—the kid had done everything he could for his father, and he should know that those words made it through.]

I can head over to your room, or-- [Wait. Neal peers at the phone, realizing that the setting seems to have changed.] You get tired of your old room?

[henrydaniel]

Yeah, I can talk, always. I'm at Regina's. After everything...not being able to see her, and the paranoia thing, and then leaving and thinking she died...I kind of felt like I should be here for a little while. We can meet somewhere else if you want?

[belovedson]

Nah, that’s fine. Just let her know I’m coming over if she’s there, alright?

[Neal’s not really in the mood to show up at the once-Evil Queen’s door completely unexpected. They can always go somewhere else if it’s an issue, but Neal would rather have some place they could talk privately for this.

So he heads down the hall; thankfully Regina’s room isn’t all that far from his, meaning it only takes him a few minutes to knock on the door.]

[video]

[keeperfromtheflame]

[As the resident team Mom positive outlook amongst her group of friends, Hazel was all over this approach. Even in spite of recent developments. And a few not-so-recent developments.]

I...got to go to my first high school dance here.

I know it sounds silly, but it meant a lot to us.

Re: [video]

[belovedson]

It doesn’t sound silly. [How could it, to a man who only has a chance to see his son live within this realm? Neal smiles, glad that this girl has had a chance for something special.] Who’d you get to go with?

[video]

[keeperfromtheflame]

With my boyfriend, Frank.

[Granted, she hadn't remembered he was her boyfriend at the time. And he hadn't remembered her. Which, somehow, made the whole experience that much more meaningful; they'd found one another again, even in a different life.]

He's not here now, but we came to Wonderland together.

Re: [video]

[belovedson]

[Neal would definitely find it amazing if he knew; his world kind of has a thing about true love.]

That’s rough; I’m sorry you’re here without him. [Because while it feels awful to want to wish someone to this place, the fact is that the people here miss the ones that go. Neal personally has a few people he can’t really hope get sent home, at least not on a permanent basis.]

But if you came to Wonderland together, that means you’re from the same world, yeah? [Still, his situation is hardly universal. It’s a dangerous question, but the natural one to ask.] Do you get to see him again when you leave?